1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive display apparatus in which a display image of an indicator showing driving information such as vehicle speed is reflected by a part of the windshield near dashboard toward a driver so that the driver can see the driving information.
2. Prior Art
The apparatus of this kind that is currently in use is shown in FIG. 7. The display apparatus has an indicator 10, which shows the vehicle speed, installed in the dashboard 20 near the windshield 3. A dark reflecting portion 3a is formed on a part of the windshield 3 near the boundary with the dashboard 20. The display image of the indicator 10 is reflected by the reflecting portion 3a on the inner surface of the windshield 3 toward the driver's seat.
In this arrangement, the display appears against the dark background of the reflecting portion 3a within a viewing field of the windshield 3, thus forming a so-called head-up display that allows a driver to easily see the display without having to shifting his or her sight line greatly. Another advantage is that since the background of the display is dark, the display can be clearly seen with a good contrast. The reflecting portion 3a is formed either by a black ceramic paint 40 on the windshield 3, as shown in FIG. 8a, or by installing a black opaque film 40' between mating component glasses of the windshield 3.
In the conventional display apparatus mentioned above, however, the dark reflecting portion 3a can be noticed also from outside the vehicle and this mars the appearance of the car. Since the reflecting portion 3a is formed on the windshield 3, there are limitations on the manufacturing process and the maintenance work is difficult.